$8 billion rail route from Europe to China via Middle East set to cut travel time by 200% as six countries sign up
Topics: Travel, World News, China, Europe
Ellie Kemp
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock
Topics: Travel, World News, China, Europe
A new train line which could be among of the world's longest is one step closer to becoming a reality.
While freight trains are nothing new, a proposed line stretching 12,000 kilometers from China to Europe could revolutionize the supply chain.
Rail freight between China and Iran has sky-rocketed, growing 2.6 times in just the first few months of 2025.
Seeing the potential for a faster, more efficient land bridge between Asia and Europe, six countries have joined forces see this growing demand through.
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In a high-level meeting held in Tehran, representatives from Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Türkiye sat down to map out the future of the Eurasian transport corridor.
The talks were led by Yerlan Koishibaev, Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan Railways, who emphasized the need for deeper cooperation to streamline cargo movement across borders.
The goal? Build a world-class freight corridor stretching from the heart of China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, straight into Europe.
And whether you've got a vested interest in the supply chain, or if you're just curious about your future Temu orders, this train line is worth paying attention to.
It will operate between China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey and then to an as-of-yet undisclosed location in Europe.
It could span up to 12,000 kilometers and would cut shipping times by a whopping 200 percent.
Currently, shipping goods from eastern China to Europe by sea can take between 30 and 45 days - especially if you’re navigating around the Suez Canal.
Enter the China–Iran–Türkiye rail corridor: a route that slashes that delivery time to just 18 to 25 days.
Not only does it boost speed, but it removes the unpredictability of sea lanes affected by everything from Red Sea attacks to port strikes.
It could see faster delivery of goods - including electronics, textiles and perishables - as well as shorter border clearances due to improved infrastructure in Iran and Turkey.
While the total cost of the new railway hasn't been disclosed, it's been previously reported the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway could come it at around $8 billion.
And while the route will be lengthy, it won't quite be the longest in the world.
The China-Iran-Türkiye corridor competes with at least two existing routes for that title.
That includes other China to Europe roues, like Chongqing in China to Duisburg in Germany, which clocks in at around 13,000 kilometers.
Then there's the Yiwu–Madrid, Spain freight route which is also around 13,000 km, considered one of the longest freight rail routes globally.